The United Methodist Book of Discipline makes the purpose of the United Methodist Church clear. The purpose of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples. The Lindenwald United Methodist Church exists to make disciples. We phrase this with three words, Win, Equip, and Send. We believe that we are to win people to Jesus Christ, to equip them to be in ministry, and then to send them out in ministry to our community and world.
We believe God’s vision for us is that Lindenwald United Methodist Church will be a “healthy, growing, spiritually vital, risk taking center for making and equipping disciples of Jesus for the purpose of transforming the world”. (Rev. Bruce Ough, Bishop of the West Ohio Annual Conference) We understand, however, that the transformation of the world begins with the transformation of us as individuals. It is our prayer that the individuals participating in the life of our church will be able to give themselves completely to Jesus Christ, allowing themselves to experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that God is using us to reach our world, and we are eagerly anticipating God’s work in and through Lindenwald United Methodist Church.
We are led by our core values, which are:
Intimacy with God
“Our Father, who art in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9)
We encourage each person to grow into an intimate relationship with God giving ourselves fully to Him. Through our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and personal relationship with him, we come to know a God who loves us intimately.
Spiritual Transformation
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)
We are seeking to be transformed by the Holy Spirit through worship, Bible study, prayer, small groups, and ministry to others.
Active Stewardship
“For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has…” (2 Corinthians 8:12)
We strive to be good stewards of all that God has given us. These gifts include our spiritual gifts, talents, time, and possessions.
Our Heritage
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders…and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrew 12:1, NIV)
We honor the heritage of faithfulness that has been passed down to us. Those who have come before us stepped out in faith so that we may be blessed by our faith and our church.
Demonstrating God’s Love for Others
“…Love one another. As I [Jesus] have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34, NIV)
Jesus told us that to be faithful we must Love God (intimacy with God), and love others. To love others means we are to see others through the eyes of God, and to sacrifice ourselves so that they may know God’s love.
Making Disciples
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,…” (Matthew 28:19, NIV)
Our command is very simple, to make disciples! We do not save anyone, for only God can do this through Jesus Christ, but we are to escort others into the presence of God so that He might save them.
Building Leadership
So that the body of Christ can multiply, we must build leaders in the church. We are called to disciple others so that they can become leaders using their gifts for the glory of God.
Diversity
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus…” (Galatians 3:28, NIV)
The body of Christ is a body of diverse parts. We embrace the diversity of God’s kingdom in all ways.